A World on Fire
by whysostephanie
Summary: Ashlyn never thought that the Zombie apocalypse would become reality, but when it struck she knew she had to find her cousin. What happens when she stumbles upon a group with one familiar face in it? No slash, no obscure pairings... OC x ? Family, drama, and violent themes throughout. Strong language and violence warning.
1. Chapter 1

When the world is on fire, all some of us can do is sit there. Just sit there and watch it burn to the ground. Why do we do it? Some of us might do it because we feel like it deserves to burn, others, because they feel there's nothing they can do. But my reason… My reason is simple; I want to see how close I can get without catching fire myself.

Some may call it a death wish; others may think it to be plain psychotic- but in this hell of a world… Who isn't a little insane anymore?

* * *

The world was going to hell, I was well aware of that. The remaining members of my group did as well. Aside form me Kaeleb was the only one who had hope; despite his sister's illness. Her name was Tessa; they had been visiting from Ireland when the outbreak began, that's something I call bad timing.

Also in the group was Jack; the second youngest one we had next to Tessa, the poor kid was just starting his sophomore year as an Nursing student.

Besides Kaeleb, Tessa, and Jack there was Anton; the ex military buff. I couldn't stand the man but he did so a damn good job at keeping us alive.

Oh, right… There's also me. Plain, simple, average me. Born and raised in the mountains of Tennessee; working the moonshine business with my Mama and Daddy when I was younger. Daddy got sent to prison with his nephew; my cousin. Mama drank herself to death so by the time I was sixteen I was on my own. Well not completely on my own I guess, an aunt of mine decided to look after me, but the second I was eighteen she up and left. Aside from her I didn't have much of anyone but the few people in my town of 617 people. Well, that's a lie… I did have somebody, another cousin. He was just as alone as me most the time. We'd become rather close but had a falling out; but he's the reason I'm down here in good ol' Georgia. I know the chances of me finding him or anyone else is slim, but just maybe we'll make it.

I had been staring into the hot glowing embers of the campfire when I was shaken from my thoughts, "Ashlyn, you got a sec?"

Upon hearing my name I turned my head to see Kaeleb walking over to me form his tent where he and Tessa stayed. I smiled slightly, "always."

He smiled back but there was a clearly somber look on his face, I frowned at this as he sat next to me. I put my hand on his shoulder scooting closer to him, "what's wrong Kael? It's not Tessa is it?"

He hung his head before he finally looked up and straight into my eyes, with a nod he paused for a moment. "She's getting worse Ashlyn; I don't think we can help her much more…" His gaze was soft, he was a wreck inside and I could see it. I didn't know what else to do but embrace him; as I wrapped my arms around him he instantly returned the gesture. His sister was dying and the least I could do was be a shoulder to cry on.

"I promise, whatever happens, I'll make sure it's alright in the end," I whispered, "Tessa will get better, we'll go to that pharmacy in town tomorrow and it'll work out."

Kaeleb let out a sigh and looked me in the eyes, "what would I do without you?"

His words caused me to smile; I felt my face grow warm, I knew I was blushing but hoped he'd mistake it for the glow of the fire.

The next day the group met, minus Tessa who was too ill to leave her tent; she had been suffering from TB; or so Jack had diagnosed. Jack decided he would go into down with Kaeleb and me; he knew the medication needed to stabilize Tessa. Anton would stay back and keep watch over camp during our excursion.

But by the time we returned; it was too late. Walkers had come and caught Anton off guard; he was bitten but still alive for the time being. Tessa was dead, torn to pieces. I had been the one to find her. I forced Jack, Anton and Kaeleb to move on and go back into town to take refuge in an old diner. That's when we fell apart, all of us.

"What the fuck are we going to do now?" Jack shouted, shaking me by the shoulders, he was panicking and I didn't know what to say, "It's your god damned fault we left camp anyway!"

"Excuse me," I scoffed pushing him back, "if it weren't for me; we woulda been there when the fucking walkers came by!"

He slapped me, causing me to gasp; Kaeleb growled and took him by the shirt collar and shoved him into the nearest wall, "get your hands off of her! You pathetic piece of-" he was cut off by Anton smashing a glass on the table behind the counter.

"Stop this. NOW," he demanded in a powerful voice and he grabbed his shoulder in pain. "This isn't the time to turn on each other!"

I sunk to the floor, looking at the blood on my hands; or what remained. It was Tessa's, tears began to fall and I continued to listen to Anton, "we just lost one of our own. Someone that a few of us may have loved," he looked at Kael, "someone we may have wanted to save," he then looked to Jack, "someone we wanted to give hope to," he looked at me. "And god damnit, that person wouldn't have wanted us to act like savages. Now I don't know how much time I have left but…"

We heard a gun shot ring through the air; it was outside but near by. We stayed silent for a moment as we began to hear a couple more.

I stood up and walked cautiously towards the window to peak out the blinds, Kael followed. "What's out there?" he asked standing close, I could hear his heart pounding; we were all under too much stress, but that was how we had to live these days.

"Walkers… They followed us," I sighed.

"That doesn't explain the shots…" Jack mocked, I glared at him; his arrogance was a pain in my side that wouldn't die.

"Why don't you just shut your sorry mouth," Anton warned; Jack threw his hands up in defeat and walked towards the back.

"Screw you guys, I'm leaving this hell hole," he sneered as he opened the door. We just watched as he left with no effort to stop him. I don't know why the others didn't but I had my own reasons. I cringed when I heard him screaming, there was another shot form an unknown source- seeing as Jack didn't have a gun on him.

Anton, despite his pain led Kaeleb and me out the front door. The plan was for Kaeleb to run to the jeep nearby as Anton covered him; my job was to keep an eye out for the source of the gunshots.

Gripping my sawn off shot gun I slowly make my was to the corner of the building- careful not to make any noise but my cowboy boots clicked on the wooden floorboards of the porch. I heard a gun cock and froze. A voice followed, a man's voice, "now who might you be?"

My eyes widened and I turned around aiming my shotgun to see a pistol pointed in my face. Speechless I lowered my weapon.

The man that stood in front of me was tall and muscular; he had thick black hair and a defined nose. His structure reminded me of Anton, well built and obviously a man experienced in some sort of combat. My big blue eyes were filled with horror I'm sure, I was caught off guard and hadn't imagined this. The man lowered his gun, and tilted his head with a smirk, "there, I'm glad we reached an understanding… Now who are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," I recoiled, my eyes were narrow.

Suddenly another man appeared; he looked anxious and worn out, "Shane! Back off of her, what are you trying to pull," he ordered. I noticed this man was wearing a police uniform. He walked over to me and the man named Shane. I stood there, confused, scared, and worried about my fellow group members. "Don't worry, look I'm sorry if we scared you but we mean no harm…" the man said, gesturing to Shane.

"ASHLYN!" Kaeleb's worried voice rang. I saw him jump out of the jeep that he drove over, Anton followed; guns raised forcing Shane and the other man to raise their weapons as well, it was a stand off.

"Enough already!" I pleaded running and standing between them all, I figured that if I were to put myself in the line of fire that at least my group wouldn't shoot. "Can we put away the guns; it's obvious that none of us are walkers… And more gunshots would lure more in. Can we please me civil about this?"

The men lowered their weapons, I noticed Shane to be the most reluctant. "Your girl is right," the man in the police uniform sighed.

"Rick, the man's been bit," Shane pointed out, motioning to Anton.

We admitted that he was; Anton volunteered to stay back and shoot himself before he turned. Rick insisted that I go back to their camp; of course Kael wouldn't let me go alone. Shane wasn't ready to accept us into the group. In fact he appeared to be pissed off with no end; he didn't trust us, not in the least. Kael and I felt like we had no other choice though, we had no ammo left, hardly any supplies, all we had was each other. So we accepted Rick's offer and followed them back to their camp, unsure what to expect.


	2. Chapter 2

The drive to their camp was silent; I began to tremble in anxiety, in fear. I felt like I shouldn't have seen so quick to trust these men but Kael put a hand on my knee in an effort to comfort me. I looked to him and he stared me in the eyes with his own blue gorgeous orbs and mouthed "it's okay."

I felt eyes on me, other than Kael's, I looked forward to see Shane giving me a cold stare as his eyes began to wander as though he was examining my figure. Quickly, I looked away but still felt his gaze on me. "You're damn lucky we're such nice folks," Shane mumbled. Rick scoffed lightly, and looked at him for a moment then back to the road.

"Shut it Shane, you don't need to play the part of Mr. Tough Guy with them… Hell, you guys can't be older than 25, right?" Rick was trying to lighten the mood, but Kael and I stayed quiet. We didn't know what to say, at least I didn't. Though I felt Shane's eyes on me once more and it made me uncomfortable again.

"Mhmm, if I had to take a guess… The girl looks mighty ripe but still young, maybe… twenty-one?" Shane's voice came; I was tense and didn't like his comment.

Kael hadn't either as I felt his grip on my leg tighten. I guess when you're the last people left in a group you tend to become more protective over each other- at least that's what I told myself. "Sir, could you not talk about her like that? And learn t' keep yer eyes to yerself," Kael snapped, his thick Irish accent was adorable.

This remark caused Rick to laugh lightly and Shane to growl under his breath. "Don't mind him; he doesn't play well with others," Rick smiled; I could see it in the rearview mirror as he looked back to me, "we mean you no harm."

After another few silences we found ourselves heading down a long driveway to a farm house. The fields surrounding it were full of life and prospering, I smiled to myself at this, knowing that maybe the world still had hope. We finally came to a stop in one of the fields near where there were tents set up like a camp, I didn't see anyone outside which put me on edge. That's when Rick turned off the ignition and turned around to face Kael and I, "everyone will be coming out soon, they're probably eating dinner at the moment. Now, that's Dale up on top of the RV, he takes watch most of the time. Once everyone comes out we'll introduce you all…"

"Rick, I don't think this is a good idea," Shane said bluntly as he exited the vehicle.

"Not now Shane, we'll talk later," Rick said with a sigh, I could tell the man was stretched thin with responsibilities; it made me feel back for him. "In the mean time, I'll show you two around a little, if that's okay."

Kael had agreed but I chose to stay behind, I needed a few minutes to get my head around the concept of everything that had happened that day. Kael didn't want me to stay there without him but Rick assured him that I'd be okay and no one in the group would lay a hand on me; I also told Kael to go and that I'd catch up with him when he got back. In the meantime Shane took it upon himself to babysit me. By this time the man named Dale had crawled down from the RV to come inspect what the situation was.

"Who's this?" he asked Shane, he was obviously curious.

Shane just looked at me, "a stray, we picked her up in town. She'll just be trouble if you ask me…"

"Excuse me, but I don't like bein' talked about like I'm some kinda dog, you asshole," I said to Shane in annoyance.

Dale just looked to me, giving a sympathetic smile, "now, now, no need for name calling right? What's your name?"

"Ashlyn."

He just nodded and looked at me, as though he'd seen me before, "you look familiar… I don't think we've met before though."

I just shrugged with my arms crossed, I didn't like how friendly he seemed, the same went for Rick but Shane was even worse; Shane wasn't even friendly he was distant cold and very intimidating. I made a mental note not to associate myself with him. After a few minutes Rick walked back over with Kael at his side. They both seemed to have hit it off seeing as they exchanged smiles and laughs, I couldn't help but worry that maybe we shouldn't trust them.

The rest of their group came out after a short while; the entire thing was a blur to me. They all seemed nice enough in their own ways; many gave me that same look of familiarity that Dale had given me. Kaeleb had taken my hand and didn't let go for a long time, the feeling of having someone still there for me was more than a relief for me. The thing about Kael was that he had been there for me since we had first gotten to know each other on the Tennesee-Georgia border at a rest area.

We were sitting down around the fire, everyone had joined besides the blonde named Andrea had gone to take watch and Ricks wife and son who had gone to bed. It was after dark now and I heard Rick talking with Shane behind the vehicles; I couldn't help but listen in.

"You know he'll be back soon, after searching for Sophia all day he won't be in a good mood Rick," Shane sounded anxious and impatient.

"You don't think I know that," Rick said shortly.

"He won't like the fact that we brought strangers into the group."

I saw Rick run his hand through his hair, "we don't know that…."

I felt like I had to say something so I excused myself from Kael's side. I walked over to them slowly, staring at my boots, "look, if we're going to cause problems… Kaeleb and I can be on our way by morning." I looked up to see Shane turn around and look off into the night, Rick just looked down at me, he didn't know anyone had been listening.

"No, Ashlyn, I'm sorry. There's nothing to worry about, I promise. There's just a member of our group that… Well he's not much of a people person, but he's nothing to worry about. His brother was the real trouble maker but he's no longer with us," Rick said trying to sound reassuring.

The way it sounded, whoever this other guy was made Shane sound like a saint. That's when a voice called out from back by camp. "And who the hell are you?"

I turned quickly; Rick did the same and stepped in front of me, walking back towards the fire. Shane just laughed and stepped closer to me, "hate to say I told you so."

I narrowed my eyes at him and jogged to catch up with Rick, I could see Kael standing up face to face with another man who had a crossbow on his back. As I got to them I slowed down and my eyes widened. There was no way I was seeing this with my own eyes.

"Daryl, stop it!" Rick said sternly, the other man stared him down.

"And who's this bitch," the man named Daryl scoffed pointing towards me but upon looking closer he stopped what he was doing and froze as though he had seen a ghost. Everyone looked on in confusion. I covered my mouth with my hands and searched for words, "it's not possible, I murmured.

Daryl's eyes were now wide as well, "my, God," he said quietly taking a step towards me with caution. My heart began to race and that's when he spoke again, "Ash... How, I mean…. That really you?"

"Could someone tell us what the fuck is going on?" Shane demanded, again sounding impatient, "you mean to tell us you know this little skank?"

Daryl glared over at Shane, "don't you talk about my baby cousin like that EVER again, unless you want to loose a few teeth," his voice was protective, like I had always remembered it.

Everyone looked onward in shock, like they couldn't believe it, hell even I couldn't believe it. Daryl looked at me, a million emotions shown on his face. He walked over and took me by the arm, "I need to talk to you."

He led me out to one of the fields; I was in a daze, still trying to process the thought of finding him so randomly like this. Once we were out in the field away form everyone else he let go of my arm, for a moment we just looked at each other. It had been years since we had last seen each other, but we were obviously both happy to see each other alive. "I thought you were dead," Daryl said sharply and he pulled me into a strong embrace. His pride was too deep to do something like this in front of the others and I knew it, but that caused me to smile and return the embrace. He held on tight, as though if he let go he'd lose me.

"I could have said the same about you," I whispered. At this point Daryl grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed away from the embrace. His expression was filled with what I could see as frustration and sincerity.

"You shouldn't be here," his voice was somewhat cold; he never was good with his emotions, let alone expressing them.

"Don't be like this…" I sighed, he let go of my shoulders and turned around and looked into the sky.

It was quiet for a minute; Daryl hung his head, looking for words I suspected. "Ashlyn," he said my name softly, "I'm…. I'm glad to see you're not dead." He turned back to face me, and looked at me again, "you sure grew up though, you twerp."

I laughed at this, the last time I had seen him I was still in the awkward teenager phase so I figured that I certainly looked different to him now. "Bite me," I teased.

"As kinky as it sounds, pretty sure that'd be considered illegal, cuz," he winked, I rolled my eyes. He hadn't changed a bit. "If you're gonna be staying here we need to get some things laid out."

I tilted my head, not knowing what he meant, "what ya mean?"

He came close again, "there's people you can trust and people you keep yer ass away from," he said sternly. "Rick's a good guy but there's a load of trouble that follows him around…. I suggest you stay far from his business. Then there's Andrea, that crazy bitch almost shot me in the head not but a week ago, not to mention she follows Shane around like a god damned lost puppy…" He paused a moment and stood close to me, "Shane… You stay away from him; he's dangerous if you hadn't already found that out."

"Oh you mean sticking a friggin' shot gun in my face was dangerous?" I said sarcastically.

Daryl stayed quiet, though his eyes narrowed, "like I said, stay the hell away from him, for both our sakes." He started to walk back towards camp, "c'mon, let's go."

I walked behind him, unsure what else to say. Daryl slowed his pace to walk beside me, "I almost forgot. You can sleep in my tent t'night, but your boyfriend needs to bunk somewhere else, ya hear?"

I shook my head, "Kael isn't my boyfriend."

"Thank god for that," Daryl muttered.

* * *

Note from the Author:

My apologies for any misspellings or grammar mistakes. I have yet to review this chapter, and I also apologize for anything that seems out of character, but I hope you enjoyed reading this! Chapter three is currently being worked on :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The night passed, not a lot happened after Daryl and I had our talk. Dale invited Kaeleb to stay in the RV with a few of the others. I felt bad for him, being left alone with strangers for the night while I got to catch up with my only remaining family member; it seemed so cruel that Kael had lost his nearest kin but I had found mine.

I awoke in the morning to the sound of Daryl stringing his boots up. Sitting up, I groggily looked around; Daryl looked over at me and spoke, "rise and shine."

He saw me roll my eyes; gazing out the tent window I realized it was sunrise. "Where are you off to this early," I said in a weary voice.

Daryl looked down at me, "there's a little girl missing from our group. Since no one else 'round here knows how to track, I'm the one who's done most the searchin'. I'm sure if you ask Rick he'll fill ya in on details and what have you."

With that I slipped on my boots and followed him out of the tent, only a few of the group were awake at the time from what I noticed. "Let me go with you," I said tying my hair into a pony tail.

"Nah, I've got this. I know the area, you'll just slow me down."

I scoffed, "seriously?"

"Dead serious," he said without turning around.

"Whatever you say," I rolled my eyes, a little frustrated, but figured it was for the best that I stay at camp with Kael. I wandered over to the main part of camp to join whoever else was awake.

"Good morning Ashlyn," came a voice from near me, "sleep well?"

I turned to see Rick emerging from his tent, I gave him a nod, and said "I did, thanks," I scratched the back of my neck, I had several questions but didn't know where to start. What happened to the little girl, how did the group find this place, was it really safe, who could be trusted? I mean, Daryl had filled me in on a lot of things, but stubborn as we is he'd leave out a lot of the story. He never liked talking about things as serious as such. "Hey, uh Rick…" I began, I knew I was going to sound like a moron.

"What is it?" his voice was considerate, something I noticed was persistent with him.

"What are the chances that I could leave camp and go retrieve some of my belongings," I looked to see him give a disapproving look, not directly at me though. It was like he was pondering, looking out to the horizon. "If it's too much trouble I understand, I can go myself."

"What's the trouble?"

Of course, it had to be Shane; Rick turned his attention to him. Shane was walking up from the field behind us, probably scouting I assumed. "It's nothing, forget about it" I said, my arms crossed. I avoided eye contact, remembering Daryl's advice. I walked ahead toward the RV, I noticed Dale standing outside of it.

The rest of the morning was quiet, Kael was out like a light, I figured it was the stress of the day before. He needed the rest. I had decided to help Carol with laundry, something I had been accustomed to back home. She told me more about her little girl Sophia and how grateful she was to Daryl for working so hard at trying to find her. Daryl kept her hope alive; I was proud of my older cousin, he was always the one with a big heart, unlike Merle.

Merle and I never had a good relationship. Nearly every time we had seen each other we were at each other's throats. What set me over the edge was the last time I had gone to visit him and Daryl. I was eighteen at the time, just graduated high school. It was the middle of summer and decided to run some moonshine down to Daryl and Merle; a couple friends and I had kept my parent's business alive. The thing I hated most about Merle was his offensive personality; every other thing he'd say to me was either an insult or inappropriate. Daryl knew it bothered me, but always kept his mouth shut. That's what initially caused our falling out; I hated Merle with every fiber in my body but there was never a chance Daryl would go against his big brother.

I remember the day I left their place in Georgia, vowing never to go back. Merle had finally pushed me over the edge. Daryl had come in from a hunt to find his brother and me in another shouting match, he had apparently heard us from outside.

"I swear to God, if you touch me like that ever again," I threatened Merle.

He bellowed out laughing, "you'll what? Hit me? I dare you, you little cunt."

"Say it again, asshole," I gritted my teeth. Merle leaned close, the scent of alcohol on his breath made me cringe.

"You. Little. Cunt," he enunciated each word, slowly and clearly. I lost it, and slapped him as hard as I could. Obviously, he wasn't going to take that. He shoved me, causing me to hit the table. I grabbed an empty bottle and smashed it, ready to use it as a weapon. Merle just laughed again, "you wanna play like that? Bitch, let's see what you've got."

He hit the bottle out of my hand and pushed me into a wall nearby, causing me to yelp. By now Daryl had ran in, screaming for us to break it up, he pushed us apart. He had to hold me back, as I kicked and screamed profanities at Merle. At that point I stormed out of the house, slamming the screen door. The sound of Merle laughing got to me. It was a joke to him. As I stormed out I shoved everything off the patio table, knocked over anything I could, and proceeded to walk to my truck. Daryl followed me and grabbed me by the wrist, "Ash, what the hell!"

I stopped and turned towards him, pulling my hand away, "seriously, this again? You always side with him."

"Come on, just settle."

I found no reason in his request; all I wanted was for him to stick up for me this once. If it had been anyone other than Merle, he would have knocked their skull in without a second thought. "Either tell you're excuse of a brother to clean up his act or you'll never see me again."

He looked away, silently.

I turned back around, "fuck you, Daryl," I spat as I opened my door. He scoffed and slammed it shut with one hand.

"Care to say THAT again?" his eyes narrowed. It was rare for him and I to exchange words, we had always gotten along. This was different though.

I was shaken from my thoughts by reality, a voice to be precise. "Let's go," I looked up to see Shane standing in front of me, I shot him a questioning look.

"Where and why," I said coldly.

"To get your stuff, Rick said you had to grab things from your camp. Figured it best not for you to go alone."

"I'll deal," I said standing to walk away; he stepped in front of me.

"Look, girl. I know you don't like me, and I don't much like you. Let's go, and get it over with," he said with hands on his hips. I looked behind him to see Rick watching us intently, that same look of concern. I moved my gaze to Shane, staring down at me.

"Fine," I sighed, knowing I'd probably regret it later.

Shane just nodded, and led me to the car, I noticed him and Rick exchange looks as we passed. There was an obvious tension between them. I couldn't help but notice. Whatever it was, I wanted nothing to do with it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The car ride was quiet, it made me rather uneasy. Shane kept trying to make small talk but I'd simply shaken it off for the most part. We had gotten to my old camp; it looked so desolate, so abandoned, like the rest of the world. The vehicle came to a stop and Shane turned off the engine, "be quick about this sweetheart, the sooner we get out of here, the better."

His tone was belittling, and I hated it. "Yeah, yeah," my reply was snippy but I didn't give a damn. I hopped out of the car, the gravel crunching beneath my cowboy boots. I made my way to the tents, taking caution to any signs of walkers. In my tent I gathered what supplied I needed; clothes, a locket that belonged to my mother, my daddy's flask & the spare jug of 100 proof moonshine (it's a blessing in a world gone to hell,) and a few other things. I grabbed my straw cowboy hat and stepped out of the tent, putting it on my head.

"Now that's real cute, you really are a hick like your cousin, huh?" Shane gave a snide smirk. I rolled my eyes and pushed past him, snobbishly flipping my hair to the side. I felt the need to show a little attitude, maybe even prove that I wasn't s push over; but I tried to keep my calm regardless.

"I'm going to grab some of Kael's things, while we're here," I said with my back turned. I could hear Shane sigh in frustration.

"You just want to waste daylight don't ya," he spoke in a teasing tone. I ignored him and went into Kaeleb's tent grabbing a couple things I knew he'd like to have. I then heard the door to the canvas tent shift. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shane peek in.

I looked over, "can I help you with something, or…?"

"Let's get going already."

After grabbing the last couple of things I walked over to Anton's tent- I had quite the arsenal to be honest; and now that he wouldn't be using it… Well, why let it go to waste. "Shane, make yourself useful and help me load these," I said walking over to the storage box Anton used for weapons. It was mostly blades, a pair of Desert Eagle .45's, a couple rifles, and my personal favorite; a vintage Colt .45 six-shooter. I tucked it safely away in the back of my jeans.

"Well, I guess, picking up you strays wasn't a complete waste…Now was it," Shane scoffed as he loaded the weapons into the back of the truck with me. I gritted my teeth, making a sour smile as I slammed the gate of the truck closed.

"Excuse me?" I spat, "Maybe ya don't realize it but we're PEOPLE too. Not dogs. Hell, one of YOUR people is actually my cousin. So like it or not, that makes me one of your people too now."

"That's where you're wrong, sweetheart," Shane's eyes narrowed as he walked closer to me, I stood my ground, "you're trouble. I can already see that, but I also know a bitch when I see one. 'Specially when there's a dirty little pup following her around."

That was when I lost it, "screw you," I muttered as I slapped him with full force. At the time I knew it probably wasn't the best reaction but I was never one to sit around and accept insults. That wasn't how I was raised.

Shane smirked and raised an eyebrow, "now, I was taught never to hit a woman… But for you I'd make an exception."

After a while we finished up packing what we had to grab, nothing was said for a long time. Not until we were back in the truck at least. Shane would say something offensive and I'd make some snide remark. I had a feeling this would become an all too common pattern. What really irked me was the fact that Daryl had told me to stay away from this guy and now I was stuck with him… Trouble? Yeah, I didn't have to be told twice about this guy. I started to think back to how Daryl and I had been reunited, as cheesy as it may sound. I couldn't even determine the odds of it happening; let alone Merle being, supposedly, dead. Even if the world was goin' to hell, maybe I could live with it after all.

Suddenly, I felt the truck coming to a stop. I shot Shane a curious look, "uh, what's the hold up?"

"We're going to have a little talk little lady," he said as he turned off the ignition and locked the doors.

"Real cute, but ya do know I can just unlock the door right?"

He gave me an annoyed stare, "you're gonna stop your mouthing off to me, first of all."

I took this moment to interrupt him as I unlocked and opened the door, "oh, I am, am I?"

That of course didn't go over well with him as he abruptly grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me closer. He reached over me and closed the door, "you sure are a little spit fire aren't ya?" This obviously made me uneasy, I'd been in similar situations in my years and I knew I could take care of myself. Despite this, the situation was unnerving.

"Let go of me," I warned with gritted teeth.

"Oh shut up, and listen… Yeah, I don't like you and you don't like me, but I think we can work out a mutual agreement," his voice was filled with a tone of mischief. What was he up to? "If you stay out of my way and keep your pretty little head out of my business, I'll leave you and your pretty boy Irishman alone… Hell, I'll even stay away from Daryl, not that I don't already."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"My business is none of yours… But if you get in my way, you'd best watch your back," he sneered.

"Uh, look, you're not making any sense to me," I whispered, I knew that there was something going on with this guy, but I didn't know what.

He continued to stare at me, leaning in close, "let's keep it that way, sweetheart."

**_Author Note:  
_**Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than the others… I'm way behind schedule on my updates to say the least. It always happens. Either way, I hope you likes this chapter… I'm probably going to shift the story line to fit the new season of the show. If I do that, I will definitely make a chapter explaining the events between the jump. Thank you for your patience!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The Sun had been setting by the time we reached camp. Nothing was said the remainder of the trip, though tension hung in the air like a dense fog. Shane turned off the ignition and sat there a moment, staring straight ahead. I looked over at him briefly, then reached for the door and hopped out. I went to the tailgate of the truth and started unloading the gear we acquired on our outing. That's when I felt someone close behind me with a strong hand on my shoulder, breathing down my neck; Shane's voice whispered in my ear, "now, don't forget our little talk."

I turned around, noticing how closely the man was standing to me; I grabbed Kael's and my things and pushed past him without saying a word. I looked to camp to see someone sitting by the campfire. As I got closer I saw who it was; Daryl, sitting there, sharpening his hunting knife. He had seen me too, watching intently as I walked closer. His stare was cold and even felt suspicious.

"What in the hell is going on around here," he snapped in a demanding tone as he looked from me back to the truck where Shane was. He meant to walk past me towards the man, but I stood in front of him and put my hand on his shoulder. He then spoke again, through gritted teeth, "I come back to camp after a long day on a cold trail to find out that Rick let that sorry ass piece'a filth go out and run _errands _with you?"

"Daryl," I called in a calm tone, I knew he'd be unhappy about the situation, but hadn't expecting this. Then again, he'd always been a bit over protective of me, well he had been in the past.

"What? I told you to stay away from him!"

I scoffed, "I had no choice, okay?"

"No choice? What was so god damn important that you needed to get in that truck with that son of a-"

I interrupted him as I pulled the locket from my neck, and tossed it at him, "this… And daddy's flask."

He looked to me softly, "ah…" It was all he had been able to say. He was never one for words. Without saying anything else I stormed off to see Kael and give him his things. I had found him in the RV, he didn't say a word to me as I entered. He looked to be in shock from what had happened the day before.

"Kael, you alright?" I asked sincerely, I had known he and his sister were close. It was something I had felt I could relate to, yet envied all the same. I had never had a brother, not a real one anyway, and I had always wanted a bond like he and Tessa had. Daryl was the closest thing I ever had to that type of bond, but I knew that our relationship was much more dysfunctional and distant than the one Kael and Tessa had.

He shook his head slowly, as he looked out the window, avoiding looking at me all together. I but his bag of stuff on the table in front of him, I knew he was in no mood to talk but I spoke anyway, "if you ever need me… Ya know where I'll be at…"

A few hours had passed; I had passed the time talking with Carol. She was a nice woman, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for her because of her daughter missing. I knew most of the group was hopeful, but I myself did not share their optimism. I had helped Carol clean up a bit around camp but then decided to go clean myself up. The day had taken its toll on me and I wanted to get cleaned up- Maggie, Hershel's daughter, was kind enough to let me use the shower in their house. It was the best feeling in the world, though it was short lived. I hadn't wanted to waste their water, even if they had a well of their own. I understood the importance of using resources wisely.

After my shower I headed out to one of the fields with my daddy's flask. It was a time for me to be alone, thus I hadn't told anyone where I was going. I found a spot by the fence not far from camp where a tall oak tree was growing. I took a seat underneath it as I looked up to the bright moon. I could tell I'd be spending many nights out in the fields, thinking to myself. It was another thing that had reminded me of home.

Sitting there, taking a swig of the flask, I let out a sigh. I hung my head as old memories began to make their way back to me. What I would give to be back in Tennessee with my dad, working on a new copper still out in the woods, learning the tricks of the trade.

As usual, I found myself being interrupted from my thoughts; I assumed it to be either Daryl or Shane. I noticed someone sit beside me, "What do ya want," I snapped as I turned my head, "God, I'm sorry Kael, I didn't know it was you…"

"It's alright," I nodded.

I offered him the flask, "you need this more than me."

He let out a small smile, "aye, you sure know the way to a man's heart."

I brushed off the comment and laid my head on his shoulder, "it's not fair you know."

"What," he said before taking a long swig.

"For you to loose someone so close and so important to you and to have to stay with complete strangers… I mean, I know this world has gone t' hell… But you lost the last family you had left, and I found mine…" I paused and buried my face in my hands, "I'm sorry Kael, I shouldn't be talking about this. It's insensitive and all."

"Ah, Ashlyn," he said, gently moving my hands away from my face. He lifted my chin and looked into my eyes, though I looked away. "Would ya look at me, lass?" His voice was slightly impatient as he took my face I his hands, I looked into his eyes unsure of what was going on, "I haven't lost everything, not yet."

"Kael?" I whispered quietly, knowing what was coming next but questioning whether I wanted it or not.

"I still have you," a low, shaky whisper came. He moved closer to me, hesitant at first, leaning towards me. Our lips nearly touching, he stopped for a moment- though it felt like an eternity. "I hope you forgive me fer this," he whispered again before he closed the gap and kissed me.

I hadn't stopped him then, though part of me was wishing I had. His fingers were entangled in my hair as I felt myself grab his shirt and pull him closer. The closeness was a comfort I hadn't known in the new world we were living in. It had been something I had missed.

He laid me down and shifted on top of me, he continued kissing me with passion I had never known. His hands were all over me as his kisses moved to my neck. I began to lose myself in the moment until I realized what was happening, I turned away and let go of him.

"Ash," he asked nervously, looking down at me.

"I can't do this," I said pushing him off of me, standing up as quickly as my body would let me. Kaeleb followed my lead and stood up as well.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly, putting a hand on my cheek, moving close again.

I found myself slapping him across the face, "get away from me," I snapped. He looked back at me, more hurt than ever, I knew that he hadn't meant to take things too far or anything like that. He was anything but that kind of guy. It was instinct for me, from deep in my subconscious and the memories I tried so hard to repress. "Kael… I am so, so sorry… I didn't mean…"

"Nah, I'm sorry… I shouldn't have pounced on ye like I did," his voice was quiet.

"I should go," I said as I picked up the flask and began to walk away.

"Ashlyn," Kaeleb's voice cut clearly through the air, "I really do care for you, I just want you to know that…"

I stopped for a moment before walking away, a tear rolled down my cheek and my voice cracked out an, _"I know."_

I couldn't help but cry; a mess of emotions consumed me and tore at my mind. I didn't want anyone to see me like that so I headed out to the area where Daryl and I had talked the night before. To my dismay Daryl had been making rounds and saw me, he called out to me but I just turned the other way. He noticed something was up and started making his way over to me.

"Ashlyn, I want to talk to you, what the hell?" He said in a frustrated tone, he caught up with me and put a hand on my shoulder, turning me around. He noticed me crying and immediately let go, "damnit… Ash," he sighed." "Whose ass do I have to kick now?"

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**A dramatic chapter, I know. But I hope you enjoyed it because the next one will be even more emotional. Stay tuned to find out some dark secrets from deep in Ashlyn's past.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Three days went by and I finally got acquainted with the farm. When I had told Daryl what happened with Kael he was anything but happy and threatened to castrate the man himself. Though, I had convinced him not to, it made no difference. The next morning he was gone anyway, all he left was a note that basically said he was sorry and that he had over stayed his welcome. Part of me thought about going after him, but the rest of me knew that he was fully capable of protecting himself. Daryl knew I would try to go after him and he made me promise I'd stay where I belong- with the group, but what he really meant was with him. Something was different now than how he was when we were younger, maybe it was the fact Merle wasn't around, or maybe it was just the idea of the dangerous new world… But he was more protective than a mother bear over her cub- bad analogy but it's all I've got.

I got to meet the members of the group a little more, with the exception of Shane, I made it a point to avoid him at all costs since the day we went on that run to my old camp. Somehow I always noticed his eyes on me, like he was the prison guard and I was the convict. On the third day Rick told me that he wanted to take me out to the shooting range the next morning, he wanted to confirm whether I was a good shot or not.

It was the morning I was supposed to go out to the shooting range; I had still been sharing a tent with my cousin until we could make another supply run. I woke up at the crack of dawn, Daryl was still asleep so I made sure to be quiet as I reached for my gun and ammo. I slid on my boots and started to unzip the tent door quietly. As I went to step out, I felt a hand grasp around my ankle. "Where ya think you're goin' with that thing," came Daryl's groggy voice.

"Rick wants me to go out to the shooting range with him, y'know, prove that I'm a good shot."

He laughed lightly to himself and mumbled, "you're a Dixon, 'course you're a good shot."

I turned around to look him in the eye, "you'll find her today, I know it."

Daryl let out a sigh, "you've said that every day you been here, Ash."

"Well that's 'cause it always takes a few times of guessin' for me to actually get it right," I teased with a grin.

He sat up and stared me straight in the eye, I could tell he had something serious on his mind, "Ashlyn, do you know why I've devoted so much time int'a finding this lil girl?"

"I didn't mean to insult you or anything…. Sorry, if it seemed that way," I began to apologize, looking away as if I said something wrong, "I should get going," my voice trailed off as I reached for the tent door once again. I felt a strong hand then grab my arm.

"It's 'cause of you, Ash," Daryl said, maintaining his hold on my arm. I didn't understand what he was getting at and it must have shown on my face. He pulled me over, motioning for me to sit down, so I did. "Remember when we were just kids, I think I was maybe thirteen and Merle was in prison? You're parents sent you down to stay with my old man 'n me while they went out on a shine run out west… You were just a little thing at the time, not sure if you remember. My old man had been hollerin' at me for some stupid thing and you came over all cute and innocent like little girls are and asked him to stop yelling… Well from what I remember he didn't like that too much and started hollerin' at you then. He wanted to slap you around like a little rag doll 'till I stepped in and told him to leave ya alone. You were crying at that point and he took off his belt, ready to hit whoever got in his way, he told you to get out and go get lost… You musta been scared out of your mind 'cause you just ran… Right out that door like there was no tomorrow," he paused for a minute, and buried his face in his hands. When he looked up again he didn't look at me, he just stared out the screen window, "after he finished my beatin' he went over and passed out on his fucking lazy boy chair and all I could do was go out and do my best to find you… After about 6 hours of searchin' I finally found you out in the old dried up swamp bed, covered in dirt and Spanish moss, bawling your eyes out… Truth is, I was so worried I wouldn't find you or that you'd gotten bit by a water moccasin or somethin' like that that I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I wouldn't have found you like I did…"

"Daryl…." My voice was the tiniest whisper, he was right; I hadn't remembered it in the least. Not until he retold the story.

"I never thought I'd see you again when this all hit, then Sophia went missin' and that day in the old swamp when I found ya was all I 'could think about."

I put a hand on his shoulder, "well, I've already proved the impossible by showing up here, so now there's only room for you to prove it by finding that little girl. If you found me then, you can sure as hell find her now."

He gave a smug smile, "look at us, gettin' all touchy feely… What the hell happened to those two hell raisin' adolescent trouble makers?"

"I'm sure they're still there, under all the dirt and grime," I teased, "good luck out there today, I gotta get going to find Rick."

"You too Ash, show 'em how us Dixon's do it, and also… Let's not talk about what we just talked about, ya hear?"

I gave a nod, "yeah, yeah. Ya big sap."

With that I left, heading towards the edge of the field where Rick was waiting for me. Something was wrong- he was just standing there, staring off into nowhere. As I approached I noticed that he looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep. It was easy to tell something was bothering him, but I didn't want to pry. It wasn't any business of mine but I really couldn't help but wonder if there was anything I could do to help.

"Mornin' Rick," I said softly, walking up behind him.

He was shaken from his thoughts, as he gave me a quick glance over his shoulder, "Hey Ashlyn."

"Everything alright?"

He sighed, looking down, but he gathered his thoughts and shrugged it off. It seemed as though he wanted to say something but he held himself back. "Nah, let's get out there before it gets too late in the morning."

I gave him a light nudge and said, "don't worry sir, it's not like the targets are goin' anywhere."

He laughed lightly, "I suppose you're right."

"Hey, humor is kinda my saving grace, I mean… I am a Dixon after all, we're known for being a lil rough around the edges," I joked.

Rick smiled, "you should give yourself a little more credit, you may hide behind that family name but I can tell you're not as redneck as you want to make people think."

Tilting my head, I shot him a curious glance, "what do ya mean?"

"Let's just say I can tell you're a little more refined than Daryl is, and definitely more than Merle was. You're a gentle heart, I can tell by the way you've been asking everyone around here if they need help these last few days, or how you always volunteer to go with Daryl when he goes out looking for Sofia. Even just now when you asked me if everything was alright, Ashlyn, trust me when I say that humor isn't your only saving grace."

I was taken aback by Rick's speech, no words came to me no matter how much I wanted to say something, "thanks," was the most I could manage to mutter.

"Come on, daylight's wasting," Rick said putting a hand on my shoulder, as he started walking away.

* * *

**Author Note:**

Hope you enjoyed this touchy-feely chapter! I guess I just wanted to slow things down and add a little sentiment to the characters. Y'know, bring them closer and establish deeper connections and such. More to come, if you have any suggestions please feel free to let me know! I love getting feed back. I know this chapter was a little slow and boring but trust me, the next one will be a lot more action packed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

By the time we finished shooting, the sun was up and the Georgia heat was in full bloom. I could feel the sweat on the back of my neck, drenching my hair. I took the hair tie from my wrist and put my hair up in a messy pony tail. I leaned against the old wooden fence out by the shooting range where Rick and I had spent the morning. The sun felt good on my tanned skin, the air on the farm was fresh and beautiful, it was easy to forget that the rest of the world had gone to hell in such a beautiful surrounding.

Rick had been examining the targets, taking note of the accuracy of my shots, "you really are a good shot… Sorry I doubted that," he said quietly giving me a small smile. He squinted when he looked my way, only confirming the intensity of the sun that I had been soaking up.

"I don't blame ya," I replied, returning the smile, "growing up I was the only girl who was excited to be getting' a gun for my twelfth birthday, while all the other girls were getting their Barbie dream houses or whatever… I guess in reality, now everyone's excited to be getting' a gun or something…"

"You're telling me…" Rick said with a sigh, "it seems that all Carl can think about is picking up a weapon these days, no thanks to Shane encouraging him… I don't even want to know how the baby will…" he stopped himself mid-sentence, staring at me with worried eyes, he looked just as surprised as I was.

I searched for the right words, but all I could say was, "baby? Lori's not…? Is she?"

There was a moment of silence, besides the birds chirping overhead, Rick looked lost and worried. He was kicking himself for letting his secret spill out. He made his way over to me, placing his hands on my shoulders, looking me square in the eyes, "Ashlyn, you cannot tell anybody… Please, not even Daryl."

"You have my word Rick," I said looking straight back at him. He was a good guy, a natural born leader, all he wanted was the group to be safe and I could see that. At the same time I knew this wasn't something he should have to keep locked up inside. "You know… If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be your girl. If you ever need an outlet, or someone to confide in, just come find me, alright?"

He nodded and took a few steps back, "yeah, of course." I could tell he was brushing off my words, as he turned around and looked off to the trees.

"That's not all that's eatin' at ya," I said, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jean shorts, "you're worried, about Lori, the baby… I understand that it's probably not the best thing to think about in days like these, but you'll get through it, you're strong and so is your family- you have each other if nothing else," I tried to be as comforting as I could, but I felt like my advice wasn't worth much.

"We aren't as strong as it seems," he said, putting a hand on the back of his neck.

I kicked the dirt and looked off to the side, not that he was watching me anyway. I couldn't help but feel out of place, but I had to ask, "what ya mean?"

"I think I'm losing her, Ash… She tried to… She wanted to abort the baby… Then I found out her and.."

Rick was interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping, we both jerked our attention to the left, near the trail that lead to the farm, we saw Shane walking out into the open, "I was wondering where you two got off to."

"We can talk later, Ash," Rick said giving me a look I couldn't quite read. I just nodded back to him and started to walk away, back to the trail to the farm. I knew it would be best to leave Shane and Rick to talk- I knew they always butted heads when it came to making decisions but I didn't want to be involved. Like Shane asked me, I was staying out of his way. Though I knew that whatever Rick was going to tell me would probably never be said now. The mystery was going to eat at me for a long while, I could tell.

"I'll see y'all later," I said, looking back to Rick as I walked passed Shane.

"Hey, now hold up, you shouldn't walk back all alone little girl," Shane said smugly, giving me a once over as I passed him.

I paused, dead in my tracks, I tensed up and look back not sure how to respond to that, "I can take care of myself."

"Come on now, I insist, it's not like I bite. Ain't that right, Rick?" Shane teased, looking back and forth between us. What was he up to?

I looked to Rick, my mouth open with no words to come out, he looked back at me, hesitantly as though he didn't know what to do either. I saw a hint of caution in his eye which only threw me more off guard, "yeah," was Rick's half-hearted reply.

"You can bet that there's gon' be walkers out and about after them shots being fired, but don't worry sweetheart, I'll keep you safe," Shane grinned, putting an arm around me teasingly; I just shrugged him off and walked ahead of him. He knew how to get under my skin, and he knew that I knew it.

I gave one last look to Rick, who just looked back to me, knowing I was uncomfortable. I just sighed and continued on my way, Shane not far behind me.

I wasn't sure what it was, but I couldn't help but feel nervous with Shane around me. I couldn't help but feel my muscles tense up every time he took a breath. Something about him was off, I could sense it.

As we walked, Shane made sure to keep as close to me as he could. Though the heat was making me sweat at it was, Shane's presence only made it worse. I nervously wiped the sweat from my brow as he walked beside me, staring me down, "what?" I finally snapped at him.

"What were you two discussing? It seemed awfully serious," he prodded, nosily.

I crossed my arms, "none yer business."

"And if I make it my business?" His eyes narrowed, I looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"We were just exchanging stories, y'know. I was telling him 'bout Daryl and Merle growing up. He was telling me 'bout Carl and Lori," I shrugged, little white lies were my specialty with cops, growing up in the family business you had to be.

Shane then crossed his arms, mocking me or not, "what about Lori?"

"Why do you care?"

He growled under his breath, and grabbed me by the arm, "I have to show you something," he hissed, pulling me into the woods. I yelped lightly, taken by surprise.

"What are you doing, and where the hell are ya taking me?" I fought, trying to pull my arm loose.

"I think it's about time we had ourselves another talk," he said blankly.

I was freaked out by this point, Shane was always intimidating but this just made matters worse, I couldn't tell if I was scared or angry at how he was treating me. I finally pulled my arm free, "get the hell away from me…."

I backed away, "don't touch me again," I warned, waving a finger at him. I turned to walk away when he grabbed my arm again. Instinctively, I slapped him across the face, immediately realizing my mistake. He stopped momentarily and looked back to me, fury in his dark eyes.

"Girl, you shouldn't have done that," he spat through gritted teeth.

Stubbornly, I stood my ground, "what are you gonna do about it," I went to leave when I felt him shove me. I lost my footing and fell against a tree nearby. I felt warm liquid trickle down the side of my face, I must have scraped my head; I was in shock at what was happening but I gritted my teeth, if it was a fight he wanted, I wasn't afraid to deliver. I pulled myself to my feet and wiped some of the blood off my face, "you son of a bitch," I groaned, throwing a punch at him. He caught my fist and twisted my arm back behind me, causing me to spin around into him. He held onto me tightly as I kicked and fought against him, nearly breaking free. The next thing I knew we were on the ground, I struggled to crawl away but Shane pinned me down, "GET OFF ME!" I screamed.

"You're one sorry little bitch, you know that?" Shane grunted, leaning down close, "I told you to stay out of my way."

I spat in his face, "go to hell."

He smashed his forearm hard against my collarbone, shoving me into the ground, I cried out in pain, digging my fingernails into his arm- trying to break free when a voice cut through the air. It was harsh and demanding, whoever it was was not happy.

"You best gettin the hell off my cousin... NOW."

* * *

**Author Note: **

I told you it would be intense... Next chapter will be too, if you can imagine! I hope you enjoyed, it was a lot of fun to write this chapter. I couldn't help myself, I HAD to leave a cliff hanger for y'all! Stay tuned for what's up next... Can't imagine Daryl is going to just let Shane beat up on his cousin and get away with it, right?


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"You best getting' the hell off my cousin... NOW," came the voice of none other than Daryl himself. He must have heard the struggle on his rounds looking for Sophia, I thought to myself.

Shane just laughed, "come on, man, just mind your own business."

"This IS my business," Daryl shouted walking closer.

Shane stood up; strutting the rest of the way to Daryl he said, "and what you goin' to do about it?" He was looking to pick a fight and I knew things were about to get ugly.

After a moment of staring each other down, Daryl threw the first punch, which Shane dodged. I sat there unsure what to do, watching as the two went back and forth. It went by like a blur until I came to my senses and jumped between them, shouting for them to stop.

"Stay out of this, Ash," Daryl shouted back at me as I put my hands on his chest, pushing him back.

Shane just snickered to himself, he was bent over with his hands on his knees as spat out a mouthful of saliva and blood, "don't worry sweetheart, I ain't finished with you either."

I knew the comment was aimed at me, Daryl caught on too. He pushed me aside and growled under his breath, "I'll fucking kill him." He lunged at Shane, pinning him down, "do you get off on beatin' on little girls now? Is that it?" he shouted as he hit him again, and again. Shane just laughed manically with each blow.

"Daryl! Stop it!" I pleaded, knowing that nothing good would come of the situation.

Daryl grabbed the front of Shane's shirt, pulling him up closer to his face, "you gonna answer me?"

Once again, Shane just laughed, breathing heavily he was quiet for a moment. Finally he spoke in a rough, raspy voice, "she just better watch her pretty little back from now on."

I fell to my knees, trying to fight tears. I knew that whatever Shane's problem with me before was now only made worse and I couldn't help but feel hopeless and useless in the situation in front of me. Then as if out of nowhere, Rick came rushing over to the scene.

"What is going on here," he said in a demanding voice. Daryl growled, dropping Shane's shirt collar, allowing him to fall back to the ground. He stood up and stepped away from Shane, facing the opposite of Rick and myself. Shane just laid there for a moment until he stood up.

Rick looked down at me, taking note of the dirt all over me, and the nearly dried blood, "what the hell happened here? Ashlyn, are you okay?" There was suddenly more concern in his voice.

I then heard Daryl let out a scoff, he spun around, "you know what happened? I heard shouting and screaming so I came over. The next thing I know, this sorry ass was on top of her-" Shane interrupted him.

"She went after me, Rick, I was defending myself. I told her I didn't want to hurt her, but she wouldn't stop," he lied through his teeth.

Before Daryl or I could object, Rick sighed running a hand through his hair, offering a hand to help me stand back up- which I accepted. He looked into my eyes for a moment but I looked away. He then looked to Daryl, "I need you to take her back to camp, I'll talk to Shane..."

Daryl did as Rick instructed, mumbling as he went. Our walk was a long one; it was quiet and filled with tension. Daryl was still upset about what had happened with Shane and I was too upset to talk about it. He had been walking slowly in front of me, he stopped but I just kept on walking. Listening to the dirt crunch under my feet, I just wanted to forget about the day and wash the dirt off myself.

"Ashlyn, wait," Daryl called softly, "can we talk?"

I stopped and stood there, my arms crossed, I sighed and refused to turn his way, "what's there to talk about?"

"Nevermind," Daryl snapped as he continued walking.

We were both the type to shut ourselves off from the rest of the world when something was bothering us, whether we realized it or not. The rest of the day I spent alone, sitting in the field. Daryl shut himself away over by his tent- he called off searching for Sophia for the rest of the day. I had noticed Carol wander over to him, probably asking him what was wrong or something. She had a tendency to follow him around like a lost puppy and it irked him. It looked as though he had snapped at her too because not long after she went to him, she was sent away with her head hanging down.

The breeze felt good on my skin, especially as the sun began to set. I watched the horizon in silence as the blue sky turned to gold, then to orange and finally red. I pulled my knees to my chest; wincing slightly as I was sore from the spat I had with Shane. Resting my head on my knees I just kept watching the sunset. My thoughts were interrupted by a shadow in front of me. I looked up to see none other than Rick.

"Hey," was all he said as he took a seat next to me.

I just nodded, acknowledging his presence.

"Do you want to talk about what happened today?" He asked sincerely, I appreciated the gesture but in reality I really didn't want him or anyone asking me that question. It made me feel weak, even victimized, like I was some vulnerable little girl. Even Daryl had used the term when confronting Shane.

"You know, I really don't," I scoffed, sounding a little bitchier than intended.

I felt his eyes on me; mine never left the sight of the setting sun. He put a hand in my shoulder, "don't be difficult like this, Ashlyn… Tell me what happened, unless you want me to take Shane's story as the truth…"

I pushed his hand off of me and stood up, looking down at him I put my hands on my hips, "the thing is I DON'T KNOW, Rick. I DO NOT KNOW. He kept asking me what you and me were talking about, I mentioned Lori's name and the next thing I know he's all up in my face, shoving me, gettin' on top of me, pushing me down…" I felt the tears coming back, which only made me angrier. It was a sign of weakness and all I had been doing lately was crying. I hated myself for it, but I couldn't help it. "Why, why is he doing this to ME? What the hell did I do?!" I finally couldn't fight the tears.

Rick immediately stood up, "no, no… It's not your fault, you didn't do anything. I'm sorry, I really am, I knew I shouldn't have let him go back with you today," his voice was filled with concern and sincerity as it always was.

"I don't even want to know what he'd have done if Daryl didn't show up… I should have known from what happened the other day," I mumbled mostly to myself, wiping the tears away.

Suddenly Ricks expression changed to suspicion, "what do you mean the other day?"

"Nothing… He just threatened me. Told me to stay out of his way… It's kind of hard to do when he follows me around like that, staring shit. How am I even supposed to know what his business is anyway?!" I was an emotional wreck, the tears were turning into sobs and I couldn't hold it back any longer. The world began to blur behind my teary eyes, I felt Rick embrace me, awkwardly at first. He was doing his best to comfort me but all I could do was cry.

"It's alright, Ashlyn, it's alright now," was all he kept saying. After a few minutes I wiped my eyes and thanked him, he walked me back to the tent where he told me he'd talk to me later and that I needed rest.

I noticed Daryl and him exchange looks as Rick walked away, Daryl seemed untrusting of him. I figured he had been watching us, but the before I could think about it and before I could even get my boots off and my hair down the world went dark and I was sound asleep, ready to forget even if it was only for a few hours.

* * *

**Author Note:**

Well, I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter.. As messy and tense as it was. This was definitely a challenging chapter for me to write, thus why it's so choppy and all around... A mess. I rewrote parts of it several times but I got everything across that I wanted to. Shane and Daryl definitely won't be seeing eye to eye anymore, and Rick might have someone to confide in as well as someone to confide in him.

What do YOU think is going to happen next? What do you WANT to happen? Please please let me know, I would find it really cool to see your thoughts in comparison to my own! Thanks for reading!


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